Take a Bow
by Sylvien
Summary: On Hiatus - It began as an innocent obsession; mere curiosity, but it grew into something so much more. Before he knew it, he was weaving a tangled web in which someone was bound to get hurt. "Take a bow, because you really had me fooled."
1. Chapter 1

**Take a Bow**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Inu Yasha or any of the characters.

I also do not own the song. It's called Defying Gravity from the musical Wicked, and also from the television show Glee! Not mine! It's a great song though! You should hear it!

**Warning:** This is an A/U and the first chapter has a lot of explanation to set the scene. Bear with me! It will get good!

Chapter 1:

The wind softly whispered against her skin. Closing her chocolate eyes, she leaned against the railing and simply enjoyed the soft kiss of the warm sun. Her wavy raven locks billowed gently. She was the perfect image of tranquility. A small smile graced her lips.

_It's so peaceful up here_, she thought contently to herself.

Sudden laughter cut her out of her reverie. Kagome's eyes snapped open, her moment ruined. Turning around, her eyes widened behind the lenses of her thick glasses. _What are they doing up here?_

Standing before her were "The Hunters", or at least that's what she called them. In reality, they were the popular kids that everyone wanted a piece of. Everyone except her, that is. They picked on the not so popular kids and the outcasts. They made snide remarks and played pranks on the other students who weren't "in", simply because they could. In fact, she would swear that they made it their mission to "hunt out" the social outcasts for their own amusement.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Inu Yasha smirked as the group came to a halt a few feet from her.

She sighed. Her day was definitely ruined. She wasn't afraid of them though. Well, not really. _Okay, so maybe they intimidate me a little, _she admitted to herself, _but who wouldn't be intimidated? Inu Yasha only owns the school and could get me expelled in an instant. His dad IS the school's largest benefactor._

She stood in silence, not sure what to say.

"What? Are we deaf now, girl? You are a girl right? You're so flat, the walls would be jealous."

The four of them snickered. Who were the four of them? Well, the big shots in the school.

Inu Yasha was the leader of the pack. It was only natural. He was the best looking, with alluring silver hair and the most enrapturing shade of golden eyes. His father was also the biggest and most powerful businessman in the entire Eurasian continent and that wasn't even including what the Taiyou family had accumulated from being the ruling Demon Lords of the West for centuries. Not only was he a billionaire, but he was the star football player too. He was the starting quarter back and had won many trophies for his great accomplishments in his sport. He may not have been too smart, but Inu Yasha was the perfect mascot for the popular kids.

Kikyou was his current girl friend. She was perfect in every way. Not only was she filthy rich, being a super model and all, but she scored high marks and had the brains to accompany the beauty. She was tall and skinny, but not sickeningly so. She was the picture of natural beauty. She was athletic and an awarded archer on the international level. She was the perfect trophy for Inu Yasha. Next to her, a delicate porcelain figurine, Kagome felt like a rag doll.

Then there was Miroku; school pervert and Inu Yasha's best friend. His family owned a huge chain of museums and other historically preserved landmarks. Of course, even though his family owned a whole bunch of (in Kagome's opinion) precious shrines, didn't mean he was much of a monk. He had dated and broken almost every heart in the school and had a reputation for being the playboy. His looks were a bonus to his money. He had a childish glint in his eyes and sported the bad boy look. Miroku had an ear piercing and tied his chin length hair in a low ponytail. Yup, he was bad boy and he had no problem being the ladies man, even with the reputation he had.

Lastly, there was Sango. Kagome didn't really know much about her, except that she was the school's star jock. Sango was good at every sport, often carrying the schools female sports teams to nationals. She was tall, at a good 5'8, and slim with an athletic build and a body Kagome would die for. But she was the quieter one of the group usually. Kagome liked her. She at least didn't pick on people directly.

Coming back to the moment, Kagome realized that she would be in for a whole 15 minutes of torture and ridicule if she didn't escape her situation. She was, after all, backed up against the railing on the roof of her high school with nowhere to go, but over the edge and down towards the cement five floors below.

Dissatisfied with Kagome's despondence, Inu Yasha had advanced on her and shoved her shoulder with a leer. "Oi wench! What's the matter with you? You mute or something?"

She swallowed hard and cast her eyes away from his intense glare. Instead, she stared at the hem of her skirt. "I'm not deaf or mute," she mumbled in a barely audible voice.

"What's that girl? Speak up, so we can hear you! Or can your mind not comprehend the words leaving our lips?" Kikyou piped in from behind, her arms crossed confidently over her chest.

"Aw, we should leave the poor girl alone guys. It doesn't really do my reputation any good to be standing by a girl who looks like that." Miroku nonchalantly threw in.

Kagome's eyes began to water, but she refused to cry in front of them. She knew she wasn't attractive. Her hair was wild and wavy and it never listened to her. Her thick glasses made her eyes look like bug eyes and she wasn't athletically toned with a sexy body. She didn't have big boobs like Kikyou or Sango. A lady bug had more sex appeal than she did. But their words cut her, even if she hated them, even if she knew she shouldn't mind them.

Inu Yasha stepped back at the smell of her tears. He frowned. "Oi!" He called to his posse. "Let's go. She's boring and she smells like shit." He sneered at her one more time before turning to leave, his group following suit.

Kagome allowed herself to shut her eyes tightly and slowly sink to the floor. _Great,_ she thought with a hint of bitterness and remorse, _they've found me out._ She loved the roof. It was her sanctuary. Now that they knew she was here, she could never be sure of when she could have the place to herself in peace.

"Oh well," she whispered to herself, "At least I had it to myself for the last 2 years. They were bound to find me eventually." She was actually shocked that it had taken them so long, although, she hadn't really been a social outcast, not in the beginning anyways.

The school bell broke her from her thoughts and she picked up her backpack that lay beside the door that led back inside. Revelling in the slight autumn breeze, Kagome opened the door and headed down the stairwell to her favourite class: music.

It had been a long day, and that stupid Kagoya girl hadn't helped it much. Or was her name Kogame? Whatever, it was, the girl on the roof had to spoil his mood. First she wouldn't react to his taunts, which was never any fun, and then she had to go and cry. He hated it when girls cried. He hated the smell of tears in general. Inu Yasha scowled at the memory and closed his locker. Football practice was over.

Picking up his things, he left the change room with a holler of goodbye to his team mates and made his way to the parking lot where his brand new Mercedes was waiting for him. His ears twitched on top of his head. Someone was singing. It stopped.

Shaking his head, he continued down the long hallway. _I must be imagining things_.

Then he heard it again. It was powerful but sweet. The voice was rich. The singing had stirred his curiosity. Who would be at school singing this late? It was well past school hours. _Maybe I can actually get a reaction out of this one_. Smirking, as thoughts of mischief entered his mind, he followed the voice to the school's theatre.

As he drew closer and closer, he became more mesmerized, slowly forgetting his intent of torture. Reaching the auditorium doors, he opened them quietly and moved to stand in the shadows of the seats. Looking down from his spot, over the auditorium seats that sloped down towards the big stage, he was more than shocked to find the girl from before standing centre stage.

It had been a bad day, but Kagome felt great. She loved singing. It was the only thing she had to her name, but the best thing was, she could keep it for herself. She never sang for anyone or in front of other people. Her singing was hers and hers alone. It was private. It was her time to speak her mind and make it hers.

Standing on stage, she felt exhilarated. Her eyes were closed as she belted out one of her favourite songs to sing. She filled the theatre with her song:

Something had changed within me

Something is not the same

I'm through with playing by the rules

of someone else's game

Too late for second guessing

Too late to go back to sleep

It's time to trust my instincts

Close my eyes and leap

Her voice gradually grew louder until she was belting out the chorus from the depths of her soul:

It's time to try defying gravity

I think I'll try defying gravity

Kiss me goodbye I'm defying gravity

And you won't bring me down

Inu Yasha stood frozen, his jaw slightly ajar. Every particle in his body tingled, the hair on his body stood on end. He had never heard a voice like that. He had never thought singers were anything more than the wannabes at the bottom of the social ladder, the choir geeks, but now... now he wasn't sure what they were. His mouth was dry as he stood listening to this nerd, this girl, sing her heart out.

By the time he came back to reality, she had finished and appeared to be lost in her own quiet moment. Before he knew what he was doing, he was clapping for her.

Kagome's head snapped up at the sound of someone else in the auditorium. Panicked, her eyes widened, when she caught sight of the infamous silver hair. Her mouth ran dry and her legs suddenly seemed like jelly. No one had ever heard her sing before. She had never let anyone into her world. She stood glued to the spot, afraid to break the fragile tension.

Unsure of what to do, Inu Yasha stood there awkwardly for a few moments before reaching a resolve. He moved out from the shadows and slowly began to descend towards her. Before he could open his mouth to say anything, she had picked up her things and darted off stage.

Alone in the dimly lit room and the penetrating silence, he came to his sense.

"I'm a jock. What the fuck am I doing clapping for some retard?" Shaking his head in frustration with his momentary lapse of supposed sanity, he gathered his things and left, leaving the girl and her voice behind in the empty theatre.

Kagome stood panting in the girls' bathroom, leaned up against the door of one of the stalls. What was that, that moment between her and Inu Yasha? The way his eyes captured her breathe... the way her heart skipped a beat... What was that?

Her eyes glazed over in contemplation, whispering softly to herself, "What was that?"

^-^ So that's about it for now. I know it's a slow start... I hope it wasn't too boring, but things will get interesting (I hope anyways!) What do you guys think? _ Constructive criticism welcomed, although flames do amuse me!

Again, I don't own Inu Yasha, although I wish I did. I don't own the song either! Thanks for reading! ^-^


	2. Chapter 2

**Take a Bow**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters. I do not own the song she sings either. It's actually a song that I loved a few years back called My Immortal by Evanescence! Listen to it! It's a really nice song!

**Warning:** This is an A/U (Alternate Universe).

Chapter 2

"And so, in order to find the anti-derivative of the function, you simply..." The voice of the teacher droned on endlessly.

The clock's hand ticked ever so slowly, as if time was being distorted in order to make him suffer. He hated math. He found it boring. Eventually he would have to look at numbers all day, but until that day came, Inuyasha refused to touch the cursed subject.

Sighing, he propped his chin lazily on his hand, eyes glazing over. Kikyou wasn't in class today. She had a photo shoot to attend in Tokyo and wouldn't be back for another three days. Without her beside him, he was completely and utterly disinterested in going to class. The only reason he went was because if he didn't, then his father would find out about all of his skips that month and that would be a whole bucket of worms he didn't want to deal with.

_Stupid old man, getting involved with my business. It's my life._ His thoughts went silent. _I wonder if she'll be there again today._ He shook his head and turned his attention to something else; the tree outside the window.

_What a nice tree. Good for naps, good for hiding from people, good for starring at, good for...uh....it's a good tree._ He smirked and silently congratulated himself for successfully distracting himself from thoughts of that nobody again.

Having grown tired of staring at the same tree outside of the window, Inuyasha's golden eyes languidly scanned the rest of the room. From his back corner, he had a view of the entire class. Sighing again, he found nothing of interest to him and with his mind completely lacking of entertainment, it drifted back to that girl...again. That damned girl and her voice. He still shivered remembering the sound and the feelings she stirred within him. Shaking his head, he went back to thinking about how boring the class was. It was safer to think about how bored he was than to think of nothing at all.

_Feh, boring people, living their boring lives. How did I end up in such a retarded cl---_

His train of thought stopped in its tracks, his eyes suddenly clear and alert, body now sitting up straight and at attention. Man did the fates have a way of screwing with him. _Seriously? No fucking way._ He quickly did a double take to be sure. There, in the front row, was a familiar head that carried a familiar scent. _Damn. Has she always been in this class? How come I never noticed her?_ He scratched his head, thinking hard for a moment. _Come to think of it,_ _what was her name again?_

Kagome blinked in confusion, her head tilting slightly to the left. She didn't get it. She just didn't get it. She hated math with a burning passion. She hated it almost as much as she hated the popular kids...almost. Anti-derivatives and all of these rules! She couldn't remember them all. Huffing quietly to herself, she scribbled down the note furiously trying to soak in the auditory information the teacher was spewing out at a mile a minute and while copying the board at the same time.

She felt it; eyes piercing into the back of her head. She froze for a moment, pausing in her note taking, before shaking herself out of it and scrambling to catch up to the teacher before he erased the blackboard. _Stop losing focus girl! People stare at you all the time. This isn't any different...Maybe I'm just imagining it!_

She breathed a small sigh of relief to herself as the teacher paused to take a sip of coffee from the mug sitting on his desk. She had a few seconds to catch up! She was almost done copying the board! Two lines away...almost....there...so...close......and he erased it. Standing with his back turned in a silent, what seemed to be poorly timed, self reflection, the teacher remained absolutely oblivious to the commotion going on behind him.

Kagome barely stifled a yelp of surprise when something smacked the back of her head. It didn't hurt, it actually felt like something really light weight, but it did catch her by surprise. _Hm,_ she silently contemplated, _To turn around? Or not to turn around? That is the question._ She was curious, but at the same time, she wasn't sure she wanted to know what had hit her. _It's probably another "kick me" sign or maybe a wilted piece of lettuce....it wouldn't be the first time._

By the time she had made up her mind to ignore it and simply bask in ignorant bliss, another piece of ... something.... smacked her in the head. The corner of her lip curled upward slightly in annoyance, but once more she ignored it. The attacks seemed to stop for a while until the teacher left the room for who knew what by now. Her curiosity was more than stoked and her frustration mounted as she was pelted by whatever the damned thing was every five seconds. Oh and the giggling, of course the giggling. The other students had taken pleasure in her short lived torment. Of course they would. They didn't know what it felt like.

It had been a long time since she had been so riled up and so far past her rational mind. Whoever this person was and whatever those things were, they were really getting under her skin. For a split moment, she forgot who she was and where she was. Her frustration and temper got the better of her. Slamming her hands down on the table, she turned around abruptly and shouted-

Inuyasha squinted as he wrought his brain for a memory that he couldn't quite recall. _When did she ever....Since when...How come I never...ah fuck it._ Picking up his pen for the first time that class, he scribbled something on a lined sheet of paper. Tearing it out of his book, he waited until the teacher turned around before hurling it at the back of the girls head.

_Bull's-eye!_ He thought as it smacked her. He saw her pause for a moment, before she resumed her studious behaviour. _Feh! Doesn't the wench know a note when it hits her?_ Apparently not. He wrote her a second one before hurling it at her again. Still, she refused to turn.

Suddenly finding interest in actually using the pen and paper he carried around, he scribbled multiple messages on multiple pieces of paper. Tearing them out of his book, he scrunched them all up and waited for the opportune moment. As soon as the class was left unsupervised, Operation Blitz Krieg began. He pelted her one after another, refusing to stop until she either turned around, or he ran out of ammo, whichever came first. _She'll probably turn around first....probably_. The sounds of the class spurred him to increase his rate of fire as the volume of their giggling and laughter increased with his speed of launch.

_......Damn.....friggen...stubborn.....fucking....wench...._

Down to his last ball of paper, he chucked it at her. He flinched in surprise when she suddenly slammed her hands down on her desk and whirled around.

"WHAT?!!!!" She screamed, eyes wide and full of a burning fury. The class fell silent.

Inuyasha's ears were pressed flat against his head, suddenly taken aback by the outburst from the, otherwise, seemingly quiet geek.

"WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANT YOU STUPID JERK?!!!" She panted, as the class finally recovered. A hushed murmur blanketed the class room.

Blinking, Inuyasha was the first to fully recover, "Oi, bitch... don't you know a note when you see one?"

Kagome blinked and her glazed eyes suddenly came into focus. Looking over at him, she stood frozen in shock. Her lips parted slightly and she struggled to swallow the lump in her throat. "W...w...what?" she managed to whisper weakly and pathetically.

"Note, bitch!" he pointed at the balls of paper surrounding her desk. "What? Still deaf? God, what world do you live in?"

Still blinking, Kagome bent down and a shaking hand picked up one of the many, very many, notes. Unwrapping it, she read it to herself silently. Biting her lip, she crumpled it up in her hand before sweeping up her books and dashing out of the class just as the teacher was coming back in. She nearly knocked him over, but the collision didn't slow her down.

A tense atmosphere remained before awkward laughs broke the silence. The awkward laugh eventually turned into full out chortles, until the teacher regained control of the class. He glanced at Inuyasha before carrying on with the lesson as if nothing had happened. All the while, Inuyasha remained glued to his seat, eyes wide, mouth ajar, nose slightly twitching.... _Are those...tears?_

Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut, the crumpled paper clenched tightly in her hands. She bit her bottom lip, trying to keep the tears at bay. Having gotten a hold of herself after a few minutes of deep breathing, she sat down on the toilet in the stall. Swallowing, she gingerly unfurled the note to re-read what she had already read time and time again.

_Oi bitch, _...she grimaced at that part, but continued to read the messy scrawl that would easily be mistaken for chicken scratch, _what's your name again?_

A small bitter sweet smile graced her lips as memories of old flooded her mind once more. Looking at the note, she folded it neatly and tucked it into a secure pocket in her backpack. With a big sigh, she opened the stall and waited for the end of the school day, when she would finally have the auditorium to herself again.

The last school bell of the day rang brightly. Within seconds hordes of teenagers streamed out of the school into the warm summer day. Inuyasha sat still in his car. He drummed his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel. There wasn't any football today. There was no reason for him to be staying after school. Miroku and Sango had already left, so he wasn't really waiting for anyone. So why was it that he felt an urge to go back into the stupid building? He didn't like school in anyway shape or form. Heck, for the past few years, he'd cursed the existence of it. But today, today was different.

Today he made a girl cry, and he didn't know why, but it bothered him to hell. _Feh. Stupid bitch isn't worth the thought._ So why was she on his mind? _She's just some stupid nobody. Some stupid, PSYCHO, nobody at that... The hell does that girl have? Split personalities or something?_

He still flinched at the memory of her random, well maybe not too random, outburst in class. It was completely opposite of what he had seen of her so far...at least what he had seen so far in the week that he had noticed her. Regardless, why did he feel so compelled to see her? Why did he want to hear her sing? Why did he want to ... apologize?

It wasn't like he had done anything terrible. Even if he had, he'd never had problems pushing kids around before. Granted, girls were usually not in his daily menu of people to torment, but occasionally there would be a girl who happened to fall prey to him and his friends. Yet never had anyone really caused him to feel any form of remorse. Something about this girl seemed different.

_Why hasn't she left yet? God damn it, does the girl live in that stupid room?_

Growling, he swore. "Aw, fuck it." Pulling his keys from the ignition, he flung open the door of his car and began the march back to the school. Most of the students had already left, after all who in their right mind would WANT to be in school for longer than necessary, making his journey to the auditorium much easier.

His pace slowed from its brisk walk as he neared the doors. Would she run again if she saw him? Would he even get a chance to say something? What was it that he even wanted to say? Why the fuck was he even there apologizing to some stupid nobody?

Questions fluttered about in his head as he tried to understand his out of character actions, but they fell silent as soon as he opened the door. The sound of music washed over him and he was once more captivated.

Today was different. Today, she sat on stage on the piano bench. Her fingers danced over the ivory keys as she poured her soul into her song.

She sat quietly on the bench, her fingers frozen in her lap. _So long, it's been so long._ Swallowing a lump, she slowly raised a shaking hand and rested it on the keys of the grand piano. The choir had left it on stage during their rehearsal at lunch and now it stood before her, calling to her. _It's been so long_. So many memories hit her all at once and before she knew it, she began playing a song as if she had never left the piano behind, as if she had never given it up. Tears clouded her vision and her throat clogged up, but no one was here to listen. She sang, her voice cracking at first, but soon soft and smooth.

I'm so tired of being here

Suppressed by all my childish fears

And if you have to leave

I wish that you would just leave

'Cause our presence still lingers here

And it won't leave me alone

Once more, Inuyasha found himself seeking sanctuary in the shadows of the theatre. He had was intruding on something personal, something private. It was a moment meant only for her, a moment he shouldn't be sharing, but he couldn't move. Goosebumps ran up and down his body as his throat went dry and knees went weak. His nose twitched and his heart fluttered. _Tears_.

Tears trickled silently down her face. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut as she allowed all of her pain and suffering to surge forward.

These wounds won't seem to heal

This pain is just too real

There's just too much that Time cannot erase

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears

When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears

And I held your hand through all of these years

But you still have

All of me

He was frozen. He was too afraid to even breathe lest he disturb her moment of reverie. She had stopped playing and singing some minutes ago, but the atmosphere of the moment still hung heavy in the air. He couldn't say anything, even if he wanted to. He let out a small sigh of relief as she finally stood up. It seemed as if she was done. Maybe he could say something now.

_Fuck no. What do I have to say to her? Talking to me is a privilege and I don't do charity cases. I'm leaving this shit hole_. But he didn't. He stayed in his corner and watched her.

She walked slowly towards the end of the stage, close to the exit. She stopped and turned to looking longingly back at the instrument. Her eyes were still glazed over. What happened next shocked him.

It wasn't the fact that he came to see her or even the fact that he had stayed the entire time to listen to her sing. It didn't shock him that he had been rendered motionless or that his chest felt weird, and almost ached, when he watched her cry. It was what she whispered with such familiarity, love and sadness that would leave him standing in the dark, confused, for a very, very, long time.

She stood up, emotionally exhausted and spent. A sad smile crossed her face and she turned to leave. Nearing the door, she paused. _One last look_. She turned around and stared at the piano, trying to remember everything about it: the look, the feel, the touch, the sound. Again, the memory of old hit her.

She released a shaky sigh. Licking her dry lips, she whispered softly a name that she had long ago left behind, but had treasured all the while, "Kikyou..." with a heart-rending smile, she left the auditorium, and unknowingly, a stunned half-demon.

* * *

Hey guys! Long time no see! Sorry it took so long for me to update _ I had exams and well... lol 'nough said! I'm glad you guys are liking it... it's gonna be a bit slow and there wasn't much happening this chapter but =P can't have people changing TOO quickly can we?

InuyashaMegaGirl: So sorry! _ I saw it spelled both ways and thought it looked prettier with a space, but now that we've cleared it up! =P I won't space it anymore! Thanks! ^-^

RenieLovesInuyashaAmore: yea... they won't be there forever =P ...

Shhkeepitasecret: oh don't worry! Lol I've got lots I want to do with them... just a matter of how to get there...

LunaP: sorry for the wait! Q.Q I hope this chapter kind of makes up for it?

Thanks for the review guys! I really appreciate it and the advice and criticism is always a great help to me! ^-^ Till next time! (Which hopefully won't be too long from now)

Your's Truly... Sylvien 3


	3. Chapter 3

**Take a Bow**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters. I do not own the song she sings either. This song is an old one by Lifehouse called Sick Cycle Carousel.

**Warning:** This is an A/U (Alternate Universe).

Chapter 3:

_ She released a shaky sigh. Licking her dry lips, she whispered softly a name that she had long ago left behind, but had treasured all the while, "Kikyou..." with a heart-rending smile, she left the auditorium, and unknowingly, a stunned half-demon._

He took in a shaky breathe and sat down in the seat closest to him. _What the fuck was that all about?_ He had no idea. No way they could have known each other, because Kikyou would never associate herself with some low life. So then; _What the HELL was that?_ Inuyasha shook his head and snapped out of his trance. His lips sneered and his brows furrowed. He was getting to the bottom of this. No way in Hell would she get away like that. He hated not having his questions answered. It annoyed him, and he hated being annoyed. He hated being curious too. He hated being curious about her: _Kagome_.

Feeling a sense of renewed motivation, he jumped to his feet and was down at the bottom of the stairs in an instant. Hopping up onto the stage with an ease and grace no pure human possessed, his nose twitched and the hunt began.

She left the auditorium behind. _I'm never going back._ A sharp pang in her chest caused a shudder in her breathe. She placed her hand shakily on her chest to slow her pounding heart. _I'm never going back._ She repeated the phrase to herself like a mantra. It was too dangerous. Being there, in the auditorium, letting her walls down like that, living in her past; it all hurt too much. She'd given that all up a long time ago. She'd given up that life. She would never go back. She promised. Kagome Higurashi never broke her promises.

Her breathe caught in her throat as she heard the auditorium doors slam shut. She had been in there alone hadn't she? _It's probably just the custodian...but weren't they in there earlier? _Her thoughts trickled over to a certain silver haired half demon who had caught her last time. _No Kagome, cut it out. You're just paranoid. Stop freaking yourself out. Chill. You were alone._

Having convinced herself, she smiled encouragingly for added emphasis and continued on her way out of the school. She reached the staircase leading to the ground floor and that's when she felt it: a very real, very warm and very startling pressure on her shoulder. Her eyes grew as wide as saucers, her lips parted and, as if she were watching a slow motion scene from a Hollywood movie, she saw the stairs falling slowly towards her. _No, that's not right. I'M falling._ She shut her eyes tightly, too scared to witness her own imminent death. She screamed.

He caught her scent. _You're not getting away with it this time Bitch. No one pisses me off and gets away with it._ No one had ever caused him such a headache before. Ever since the first time they'd met on the roof, she'd plagued his mind constantly whenever he let his guard down. He was sick of it: her crying; her unpredictability; her singing. But most of all, he was sick of her God forsaken voice: the voice which called to him and pulled at his heart strings; the voice that mesmerized him; the voice which seemed to hold his body and soul captive.

And then she had done the unexpected. She whispered Kikyou's name. It had been so soft, so loving, so mournful so..._FUCK IT. There's the brat now._ His amber eyes narrowed with determination, he closed the distance between them just as she was taking her first step down the stairs. Reaching out, he grabbed her shoulder.

He recoiled as he felt her lose her balance. He could feel the rush of wind as her body lurched forward. He watched, horrified and shocked, as her body turned mid air. Her eyes were shut tight, her lips slightly parted. Her shrill scream cut through the air and brought him to his sense. Without thinking, he moved as fast as he ever had and before he knew it, he was holding her tightly in his arms as they rolled down the stairs, tangled in one another's limbs.

She felt something pull itself against her. _I can't breathe! I'm suffocating! This is it! This is the end! _Then she felt a sharp pain against her shoulder blade. She was pushed up against the warm object again, and then another sharp pain. The pattern replayed itself over and over for what seemed like an eternity and...then it stopped.

Groaning, she slowly opened her eyes. _What the heck is on top of me. I can't breathe. _Grunting in frustration, she pushed the thing off of her with all of her might. It didn't budge. Managing to wiggle her head out from under it, she took in a gulp of stale school air.

"GET OFF OF ME!" She grunted again and gave another push. This time, the thing moved off with ease and rather quickly at that.

Coming to her sense, she stared blankly at the scene before her.

He could feel the stairs cutting into him. It didn't hurt, but damn was it uncomfortable. He could hear her whimper every time she rolled under him and he tried to manoeuvre his arms to protect her, but couldn't get her body to stay still enough to do so effectively. The finally came to a stop, thanks to the ground, and he lay frozen on her for a few moments.

_What the fuck was that? What the fuck was I thinking? I could have seriously injured myself! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH ME?_ Still in shock over his own, out of character actions, he vaguely processed movement beneath him. She was saying something. _She's saying something. I should ... listen..._

"GET OFF OF ME!" A pressure on his chest prompted his quick removal of his body from hers.

He stared blankly bat at her. And for a tense moment, neither of them said anything.

She was trying to process what happened. How was it, that she had managed to stay clear of Inuyasha for two years and now, within the process of a two weeks, she had managed to run into him more three times more than she ever wanted to? Seriously, the Gods must have been having fun with her. _What is this? See how much Kagome can take month?_ But then her eyes softened slightly. He had, after all, just saved her... Sighing, she reached for her glasses. She found them... they lay in pieces beside her. Her eyes hardened, _Oh hell no. Oh no no no no no! _She was pissed now. _If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have fallen and my poor glasses would have been fine. I saved up for these you idiot!_

"What the HELL is your problem?" She shouted on a whim, clutching the broken pair of spectacles to her chest.. She pushed herself up with her injure arm and winced; it felt like her shoulders were burning and being stabbed with a million sewing needles painfully.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. Who the hell did she think she was. He had just SAVED her ass for heaven's sake! "Oi Bitch!" he spat, "You should be thanking me for saving your ass!" He crossed his arms in his signature pose and glared angrily at her.

"Save me? SAVE ME? YOU PUSHED ME DOWN THE STAIRS! YOU NEARLY KILLED ME!"

"ME? KILL YOU? FUCK YOU AIN'T WORTH MY TIME YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT! THIS IS THE LAST TIME I SAVE YOUR FUCKING UNGRATEFUL ASS!"

A passing custodian stopped at the top of the stairs and upon recognizing Inuyasha hesitantly left them to their own devices. Kagome, though in pain, tried to hide her injuries and stumbled to her feet, pocketing her glasses. Her eye twitched with the pain, but hopefully he hadn't noticed.

She swallowed thickly. _Don't forget who you're talking to, Kagome._ Her reasoning was coming back to her, slowly. _Inuyasha owns the school. Don't aggravate him. You can't afford to lose a year's tuition._ Sighing, she grit her teeth and ground out a half sincere response.

"You're right. I'm sorry for being so much trouble. Thank you for saving my ungrateful self. Have a nice day." She turned briskly on her feet and, wincing, limped painfully towards the exit, which seemed a thousand kilometres away.

Inuyasha was glued to the spot for a moment. This girl, was seriously, truly, actually bi-polar. He knew it. There was no other explanation for it. One minute she was quiet and timid, the next she was blowing up at him, then she was crying and then she was her quiet and timid geek self again. _What the HELL is wrong with women?_ He blinked and realized that she was half of the way towards escape already. His ears pressed against his scalp as he noticed her limp and the occasional sharp exhale of air. She was injured, no doubt. Guilt began to sink into his heart. He hated feeling guilty. _Stupid little shit...It wasn't even my fault..._ Try as he might, he still felt responsible for hurting a girl. _Aw fuck it._

"Oi!" he called after her. He watched as she momentarily paused and then resumed her walk out the door.

_Ignore him, ignore him and he'll go away._

"OI WENCH!"

_Just keep walking Kagome. Just keep walking, he'll get bored and go away. Take deep steady breathes now. That a girl. _She grit her teeth.

"OI BITCH! I'M TALKING TO YOU!" He began briskly walking towards her.

She slowly turned around. Her eyes were hard and her jaw set. He stopped short, stunned. Her fierce brown eyes burning with a passion he'd hardly ever seen in her, save for when she sang. They were stunning orbs that made his knees feel weak. His mouth ran dry. She looked, so much like Kikyou. But there was a wild beauty about her. Kikyou was refined and delicate; this girl was rough and raw. There was a certain appeal about her natural beauty. Even still, she bore a striking resemblance to his girlfriend and he was stunned.

"What is it?" Although her voice was low, the quiver in her tone gave away the tempest of emotions she was feeling at the moment. Her hand rested on her broken frames.

"Uh..." He said dumbly trying to recollect his thoughts, "Let me... let me give you a ride home."

She blinked, shocked. Her anger wavered. "S-s-sorry?" She blinked again...and again. _Did I...did I hear right?_

"Oi, I said let me give you a ride home, bitch. I swear you're deaf." He closed the rest of the distance between them and glared down his nose at her, daring her to challenge him.

She tilted her head back to meet his eyes. The intensity in them sent a shiver up her spine and she quickly glanced away, down to her worn sneakers. "Uhm, why?" she asked with such curiosity and innocence, that he was almost taken aback for the umpteenth time that day.

"B-b-because!" He barked, turning a bright red. He too averted his gaze from the girl and found a particularly interesting locker. "Because you're injured and I'm awesome like that, that's why. Now let's go!" He began walking down the hall, not looking back to see if she followed.

"But, you don't have to." She said weakly. What the heck was going on? He was being so...nice. It was so unlike him and it had been so long since anyone had been nice to her. Ever since...she shook her head.

He sighed. _Stubborn bitch_. "Look, if you don't let me give you a ride home, I'll have your fucking ass expelled go it?"

Her eyes widened at the thought. _...I take that back. He's a jerk._ "F-f-fine!" She managed and she, in her lilted gait, hurried to keep up with him.

Noticing her difficulty, he slowed down as inconspicuously as possible. They walked in an awkward silence the rest of the way to his car. Hesitating momentarily, he walked to the passenger side and held the door open for her. She stared at him suspiciously and slowly got into the car. Getting in to the driver's side, he started the car and pulled out of his parking spot.

"Where do you live?" his voice was coarse.

"The Higurashi Shrine, it's..."

"I know where it is," at her surprised look, he explained, "my mother used to go there all the time."

Another awkward silence ensued. Kagome played with her fingers trying to distract herself from the uncomfortable atmosphere and the pain. Inuyasha kept his eyes on the road. Her scent was intoxicating. She was a rollercoaster of emotion. _What the Hell is she thinking about?_ They finally pulled up beside the shrine steps. Just before she got out of the car, he called her back.

"Oi!"

She turned to look at him expectantly.

"Ah, I have something to ask you and you better answer me!" He glared at her.

She didn't answer, just stared at him with those innocent, deep eyes of hers. So doe like.

"Today, in the auditorium," he heard her breathe hitch in her throat and her eyes twitched, growing a little larger. He pressed on. "Why did you say Kikyou's name?"

She hesitated and turned her gaze to her lap. She could feel the tears brimming again as old memories resurfaced. Her memories. Her precious, precious memories. "I...I...I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oi, don't lie to me wench. You know bloody well what the hell I'm talking about."

"I really don't know what you're talking about!" Her voice cracked. "I'm sorry, thank you for the ride home." Before he could say much else, she had opened the door and escaped. Again, the scent of her tears lingered in the air. _What the hell is up with me and making her cry? Awww fucking bitch! She didn't answer me!_ Narrowing his eyes, he vowed to get his answer. No one got away without answering him. He put his car into drive and pulled out onto the road with a new sense of vigor and determination.

She didn't know where the strength came from, but she ran up the hundred stairs faster than she ever had uninjured. Why did he ask that? Had he really heard her? She ran into her house, ignoring the concerned questions of her family and locked herself in her room. Throwing herself onto her bed, she picked up a picture frame from her bedside table.

Two young girls beamed back at her. One was her when she was in eighth grade. The other girl, also in the eighth grade was a memory she could never let go of. Silent tears falling, she held the picture to her heart and began to sing softly to herself.

If shame had a face I think it would kind of look like mine

If it had a home would it be in my eyes

Would you believe me if I said I'm tired of this

Well here we go, now, one more time

I tried to climb your steps

I tried to chase you down

I tried to see how low I could get down to the ground

I tried to earn my way

I tried to change this mind

You better believe that I tried to beat this

When will this end, it goes on and on

Over, and over, and over again

Keep spinning around I know it won't stop

Till I step down from this for good

Her eyes slowly drifted shut as she finished the song. One last lone tear trickled down her cheeks and she gave herself over to a restless sleep.

* * *

I know! Long time no update! Seriously LONGGGG but you wouldn't believe how much school consumes your life. I'll be done soon! Two more weeks till the new semester! W00T! Hopefully I'll update more frequently then. I've got a lot of ideas for this ^-^ I hope you enjoyed it. Forgive me if I'm a little rusty.


	4. Chapter 4

**Take a Bow**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters. I do not own the song she sings either. The song is called King of Anything by Sara Bareilles.

**Warning:** This is an A/U (Alternate Universe).

Chapter 4

She waltzed down the halls confidently sporting her new look. As she passed, other students stopped in their tracks, doing a double take and openly gawked at her changed appearance. Reaching the bathroom, she pushed open the door and let a smirk grace her cherry lips. Tossing her silky hair over her shoulder, she took a place in front of the mirror and inwardly rejoiced in triumph as the other girl in the bathroom scrambled to leave and give the school's princess her privacy. Kikyou removed her sunglasses, tucking them safely into her shoulder bag and ran her hands through her hair flattening any stray strands and perfecting every centimetre of her raven tresses.

She smiled to herself, satisfied with her hair. Moving down her checklist, she quickly made sure her make-up was still flawless and it was, as expected. Then, this was the real head turner, she cupped her breasts and adjusted her bra accordingly. She tilted her head to the left, then to the right, then back to the left and once more to the right for good measure. They were even. _Good. _She thought, confident in Inuyasha's reaction. _Perfect._

Flashing herself one last practice smile, which was never short of picture perfect, she left the rest room and began her search for boyfriend to show him the new and improved Kikyou 2.0.

OOO

A breeze softly caressed her skin, whispering sweet nothings against her body. Closing her eyes and breathing deeply, she revelled in the freedom she felt when she was on the roof. It had been too long since she'd last been up here, for fear that she would run into the Hunters. _And Inuyasha_... With the thought of his name, her mind drifted.

Ever since that day, last week, she had been seeing him more often than was usual. She'd even stopped going to the auditorium, as promised. Still, she ran into him everywhere: after class, by her locker, after school, at the grocery store, heck even on her way to the bathroom! _The man is a certified stalker_. She giggled softly to herself at the thought. _I'm Inuyasha and I'm Mr. Big Shot Tough Guy around here. I like exploiting the weak and stalking helpless girls, because I'm cool like that...And I secretly adore prancing around my bedroom in frilly pink tutus._ Her giggles turned into full out laughter as the image manifested in her mind's eye. She clutched her sides and had to lean heavily against the railing to stop herself from falling over.

"Oi, what's so funny, bitch?"

Her laugh hitched in her throat and her body froze.

OOO

_That damn sneaky bitch_. He fumed silently on his way to his locker. _Slimy, sneaky, evasive little wench!_

She had managed to avoid him in every way possible and it was frustrating the Hell out of him. He had attempted to corner her after class by lagging behind, but the first time he had tried it, she found some lame excuse to talk to the teacher about an extra credit assignment. Then the next class they had together (apparently she was in his history class?) she had slipped out of the room faster than the he had managed to pick up his books. After failing to get her after class, he tried to meet her at her locker. Of course, as soon as she caught sight of his signature hair, she bolted in the opposite direction and he lost her in the sea of black hair and a myriad of perfumes and colognes. For once his nose was useless.

By the end of the week, he had grown desperate. So, on days he didn't have football, he waited for her to leave. Again, that sneaky wench managed to escape him, taking either the side doors or back entrance interchangeably. On days when he did have football, he made it a ritual to pass by the auditorium, but her scent was old and faded and other new scents often covered hers. She hadn't been back since that day.

Desperation gave way to obsession. He needed to know what it all meant, what Kikyou was to her. So he started frequenting the grocery store by her house. As uncool as it was, he found one lame excuse or another to be there and when he did run into her, she managed to lose him before he could talk to her by either hiding in the candy and chocolates section amongst other sweet tooth lovers or losing him in the display stacks of ramen. Of course he was distracted by the food of wonder and often left the grocery with more packets of instant noodle goodness than he could carry, but it was pocket change and it was so worth it...minus losing track of her. Damn his stomach.

He almost had her one time. Sitting in math class, she asked to be excused to go to the bathroom and a few moments after her departure, he left and followed her. Apparently the girl had dolphin ears (_Do dolphins even have ears? Whatever._) and she heard his steps before he was even ten paces from the door. She sprinted down the hall to the bathroom and, had there not been another girl in there, he probably would have followed her in.

_Damn fucking bitch is driving me insane. Fucking making me curious like that. Little shit needs to learn her place damn it!_ He was tired of it. He was tired of being curious, he was tired of wondering all the damn time what she had to do with Kikyou and he was tired of letting her get to him. He was the cool kid in school. He didn't wait for people, people waited for him. He didn't hang out in grocery stores hoping to run into people, people stalked HIM. Somehow, she had turned HIM into the obsessive fan and he loathed her for it.

It happened by chance really. He hadn't been intentionally stalking her this time, but on his way to Kikyou's locker, he happened to catch a whiff of her scent heading up the stairwell onto the roof.He smirked. _The wench is up there again, eh? Let's see her escape this time._

Opening the door, he walked up the stairs and quietly opened exit onto the roof. She stood against the railing. Her eyes were closed and she looked as if she had completely succumbed to serenity. Her hair billowed gently in the breeze and her lips were parted slightly in a soft smile. Suddenly she began to giggle under her breath. His brow furrowed in confusion. Before he knew it, she had broken out into full out laughter and she was everything but rolling on the floor laughing.

_What the Hell? _He wasn't sure if he should have been shocked, confused, angry or if he should have just given in and laughed with the crazy girl. _Crazy bipolar bitch._

"Oi, what's so funny, bitch?" He finally asked in a raised voice to make sure she could hear him over herself.

She froze and he smirked. No way she was getting away with it this time. She either had to get past him to get inside, or she had to jump and he highly doubted that she was suicidal, no matter how insane she was otherwise. He crossed his arms and leant up against the side of the door.

OOO

Kagome turned to stare at the all too familiar voice, doe-like eyes wide open. She nervously scanned her surroundings and accessed her possible escape routes. Gulping down the lump in her throat, she peered over the side of the railing. _Jump over five floors and land okay? Yup, not happening. Oh fudge. How to get myself out of this one._

Taking in a deep breath to calm her pounding heart, she cast her eyes to the ground, afraid to meet his gaze without her glasses to protect her from his intense stare.

"Hello Inuyasha," she mumbled.

His eyes narrowed in frustration and he pushed off the wall to corner her against the railing. Her eyes grew three sizes, her face flushed and her heart beat so fast she felt it was painful as he placed one arm on either side of her. She really was trapped. _Well this was unexpected..._

"Look at me, wench." He commanded. He was done playing games. He wanted answers and he would get them, today.

She swallowed loudly and turned her gaze upwards, but couldn't quite bring herself to meet his eyes, which left her staring at his lips.

"My eyes are up here bitch!"

She raised her eyes slowly to meet his. "What do you want from me, Inuyasha?"

"I want answers and don't you even dare think about escaping this time, bitch." His tone was firm.

She sighed and her gaze fell to the sky over his shoulder. "I don't have your answers Inuyasha."

"Like Hell you don't!" he snapped. "You know exactly what I'm talking about and I'm tired of chasing you around fucking town like a fucking loser, trying to get answers to my questions! So whether you like it or not," he pushed his body up against hers and lowered his head to whisper against her ears, "you're going to answer me now."

He could feel her soft flesh pressing up against him. Her scent was intoxicating and he had to actually put forth effort on staying focused. He could feel and hear her heart beat loudly like drums in her chest. Her breathes were becoming shorter and shallower as she grew nervous. He drew his head back and using his right hand, cupped her chin and turned it, forcing her eyes to meet his.

"Why did you say Kikyou's name?"

Her eyes glazed over for a moment before coming back into focus and hardening. "Is it a crime to say her name now, Inuyasha?"

His eyes narrowed and his grip on her chin tightened slightly. "You know what I mean bitch."

"No, Inuyasha, I don't know what you mean. I'm sorry I can't read your mind and I have a name. Use it...please." She added lamely. She felt an anger boiling underneath the surface and she could feel that she was about to snap again. There was just something about him that so infuriated her, her anger became so passionate, so alive, so overwhelming; she often lost control of her actions. She hated it. She hated what he could do to her self control that she had so meticulously perfected all these years.

"I don't care what your name is bitch. I want an answer. You said Kikyou's name as if you knew her and I want to know how. So either you tell me now and we get it over with, or you can be a worthless piece of shit and we'll do it the hard way." She was seriously trying his patience, and he didn't have much of that to begin with.

She blinked away tears and memories, but stood her ground. "No."

He growled startling her. He grasped her shoulders, firmly to prove his dominance, but not so hard as to injure her again. "Tell...me..." he ground out.

"No."

"FUCK YOU!" he shouted in her face and she shut her eyes tightly, recoiling slightly. "Tell me, or I'll have your ass expelled!" It was low, sure, _but it works,_ he thought.

She felt her heart skip a beat and a lump rise in her throat. She couldn't get expelled. Her family had worked too hard, was too proud of her achievements here. Expulsion would shatter their hearts. _Maybe if I changed my tactics._

"Look Inuyasha," she said so softly, his grip instinctively loosened itself, "I can't tell you, because I made a promise, okay? I honestly cannot tell you." She swallowed hard and met his eyes trying to prove her honesty.

"I don't care who you promised. Either you tell me, or you're out."

Her eyes narrowed. _There is no reasoning with this idiot is there? Seriously!_ "I can't tell you Inuyasha, because I made a promise and I keep my promises!"

"Well too bad, because I don't care!" _What the Hell is she not understanding about this conversation?_

"Well I do!" She pushed him back and he let go of her arms. They were standing an arm's length apart now. "I'm not going to break my promise!"

"Well if you can't fucking tell me, then fucking sing it or something!" He had no idea where that idea had come from, but now that he'd said it, it seemed like a pretty good idea. _I'm a genius._ He smirked in triumph.

She blinked blankly at him. "What?" The school bell rang, signalling the end of lunch.

He crossed his arms smugly. "Sing it."

She blinked again. _Is he for real?_ "What part of I made a promise do you not understand?" _He really is an idiot isn't he? _If not for the reality of her possible expulsion, she would have burst out into laughter already.

"Feh, stupid wench, let me explain."

"Inuyasha, the bell just rang, class is starting so why don't you just let me go and then we'll both avoid being late for class, yeah?" Her eyes narrowed in annoyance. Her patience was wearing thin. She didn't want to miss her next class, there was a quiz coming up soon.

"I'm not leaving till you tell me."

"UGH! Fine, tell me what your brilliant idea is and we can just get this over with!"

He smirked. "Okay. When you promised whatever, you promised that you wouldn't tell anyone. But that promise meant you wouldn't tell anyone as in you wouldn't talk about it. BUT if you SING about it, then you're not breaking your promise, because you're not talking about it, but you're singing about it instead! It's music so it doesn't count right? Then I'd get what I want and we can put all of this stupid shit behind us. Get it?"

Her face fell flat and she asked deadpanned, "You're joking right?" _I'm missing class for this?_

His smile faltered, but he recovered. "What are you talking about wench? It's a brilliant idea."

"Inuyasha," she continued still straight-faced, "I can't tell you, means I can't tell you. I can't say it, I can't whisper it, I can't write it, I can't SING it. I'm not breaking my promise! Now can I PLEASE get to class?"

"NO! DAMN IT BITCH! I'M TIRED OF YOUR FUCKING GAMES ALREADY!" He shoved her up against the railing, gripping her arms tightly, loosening his grip when she winced. "Why won't you fucking tell me?"

Gritting her teeth, she met him square on. The intensity in his amber eyes rendered her breathless for a second, but her recovery was swift. "Why should I tell you Inuyasha? Give me a good reason and maybe I'd tell you, but right now, I don't see how any of this is your business!"

"Because she's my girlfriend, that's why!" He answered smartly.

"Well then why don't you ask her yourself, instead of stalking me and wasting you efforts?"

He paused. He had honestly never thought of that, but now that she had offered up such an obvious solution, he would feel ridiculous if he didn't get an answer from her. "Feh!"

She raised an eyebrow. "Feh?"

"Feh!" he repeated more insistently.

"What does that mean?"

"It means, wench, that you're going to tell me, because I fucking want to know and I'm asking you, that's what!"

Her eyes twitched in annoyance. "Alright! You want to know? You really want to know?"

He glared at her.

"Let go of me then." He did as told.

Sniffing, she pushed him back slightly to create space and reclaim her personal bubble. Her lips parted for but a moment, nothing came out. Then, with as serious a face as she could muster, she met his eyes and declared, "I'm a lesbian. And I'm completely in love with your girlfriend."

He stood silently trying to absorb what she had just said. _What...the..._

Kagome took her chance and began to make a wild dash for the door. His hand snapped out and caught her wrist pulling her back. She grunted. Trying to pull away, she pleaded, "Let go of me!"

"Fucking bitch!" He pushed her up against the wall. He was furious. Beyond furious. "Don't you...ever...think...that you...can fucking...toy with me!"

Her eyes narrowed. "What the hell, Inuyasha? So it's okay for you to make my life Hell, but I still have to do everything within my power to make you happy?"

He answered frankly, "Yes."

"I'm not telling you and that's final!"

"I said tell me, or I really will get you expelled!"

Her eyes began to water. _Why is he such a jerk?_ "I told you Inuyasha," she really was begging this time, "I can't tell you. I'm sorry, but I just can't tell you..." Her pink lips quivered and she fought back the tears, but she was so overwhelmed with so many different emotions and a tear slipped past her lashes; it was soon followed by a second.

He stopped. He felt himself soften. _Again with the crying_. He sighed frustrated. "Feh, whatever wench. If you're not going to tell me fine. I'll ask Kikyou and find out for myself."

But she wasn't listening to him anymore. She was gone again; gone back to her regrets and the pain and the suffering that she had caused. As soon as he let go of her, her legs gave way and she was sobbing on the floor, feeling but not seeing. Shocked, Inuyasha took a step back, baffled and clueless as to what to do now.

"Uh...oi...oi...oi don't...don't cry bitch!" she sobbed harder. "Aw fuck, oi, stop crying!" When it didn't work, he glanced around to make sure no one had come up onto the roof besides them. Sinking to his knees, he reached out a hand tentatively and patted her on the shoulder awkwardly. "There there...now stop crying."

Her sobs grew louder and her she was inhaling sharply. Kagome began to hyperventilate and before the bazaar turn of events could fully register in his mind, she had collapsed into his arms. _Uh..._ He sat with her leaning against him, unsure of what to do. Blinking twice, he began to gather her up into his arms, figuring he could get her to the nurses office unseen since class had started already. Scooping her up into his arms, he stood up to leave.

"Inuyasha?"

A very puzzled and agitated Kikyou stood at door.

zzz

Phew! Haha this is the first chapter without a song in it! But I honestly couldn't think of a song that would have fit so I figured I'd just leave it out. =P hope you didn't mind haha Let me know what you think ^-^ ...

Man does Kagome cry a lot eh? O.o she really is an emotional rollercoaster to write ha never a dull moment with her emotions

Anywho, review! reviews make me happy and a happy author is a frequent updater! ... okay maybe not, but a happy author means you've made one more person smile in the world and doesn't the intrinsic value of knowing that make reviewing totally worth it? Ah wells, I hope you enjoyed it anyways ^-^ tehe till next time!


	5. Chapter 5

**Take a Bow**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters. I do not own the song she sings either. It's by Jimmy Eat World and it's called The Middle.

**Warning:** This is an A/U (Alternate Universe).

Chapter 5

_She shyly stuck her head through the door and peered with wide eyes at all of the new faces curiously gazing back at her. Swallowing a lump in her throat, she wiped her sweaty palms on her skirt and, at the encouraging push from her mother, stepped out from behind the classroom door. The teacher, a pretty, young woman, walked over and reassuringly extended her hand to the timid child. Her gentle smile persuaded the little girl to take it._

_ Leading her to the front of the classroom, the teacher introduced the new addition to her brood of students. "Children, this is Kagome. She's new to the school and I expect all of you to help her find her way around. How about you tell us a bit about yourself, Kagome?" She gave her hand a small squeeze. _

_Looking up at her kindly teacher and then to the expectant faces of the other children, Kagome offered up her best smile and although the butterflies were swirling in her tummy, she was excited to make new friends. "My name's Kagome, and I'm 8 years old! I live in a shrine with my grandpa and mom and little brother and my cat Buyo! I love cats and I like to sing!"_

_The little girl breathed a sigh of relief when the other children returned her smile._

_"Thank you, Kagome. Why don't you go have a seat in that empty desk over there?" Her teacher gestured a desk in the back corner by the window. Beside the vacant space was another young girl with jet black hair and a beaming smile._

_Kagome nodded, enthusiastically waved goodbye to her mother at the door and took her seat. She turned to smile at the girl beside her._

_The girl introduced herself. "Hi Kagome! My name's Kikyou."_

_OoOoO_

His heart jumped and for once, he was at a loss for words. There stood his girlfriend with a look of absolute confusion and here he stood with a random nobody in his arms. _Shit_. How was he going to explain this one?

"Ah, Kikyou...hey," he stuttered awkwardly.

He watched as her eyes shifted from his face, to Kagome, then back to his face and then back to Kagome. Kikyou's eyes narrowed ever so slightly and he could see her grinding her teeth. She clenched her fists at her side.

"What's going on here?" Her question was asked so quietly, he had to strain his ears to hear her.

"Uh...nothing..." _Yeah, that doesn't sound incriminating at all...Good going genius._

She took in a deep, shaky breathe, closed her eyes and then opened them again; a coldness had sunk in. He had never seen her so furious and for all the manliness in him, he was scared shitless. Suddenly it was gone and her eyes softened again. It was his Kikyou.

"What're you doing up here? With that girl of all people?" She asked calmly, not even hinting at the rage she felt just moments earlier.

"Uh, well you see Kikyou," he shifted Kagome in his arms so that her head wasn't hanging awkwardly off his shoulder. "I came up here and she was just passed out!" He was using his best poker face and he could only hope that Kikyou believed him.

She blinked. "And?" A delicate eyebrow raised itself.

"Well, and...well so I was going to take her to the nurses office." He stammered unsure of what she was hoping to hear.

Kikyou burst into laughter suddenly and shook her head from side to side. Her hair tossed gently in the wind cascading around her face such that it created a picture of such regal beauty; it was this same beauty that had so often taken his breath away and captured his heart. "Oh Inuyasha," she spoke warmly, "you're so silly. Leave the girl be."

He blinked, "What?"

"Leave her here."

"But she's passed out..." He trailed off pathetically.

"And your point is?" Again, she raised her eyebrow in scepticism. "What does that have to do with us?"

"Well...I...well..."

"Look at yourself Inuyasha. You're the schools coolest and hottest guy and you're worrying over a loser nobody." She took slow sultry steps toward him and gently pushed a lock of silver hair away from his face. "She was fine before you came up here, she'll be fine when you're gone. Just leave her here."

He stared back into her eyes and suddenly his actions no longer made sense. _Who the Hell is she, that she deserves my help? Feh I'm losing my mind._ He nodded. "You're right, I don't know what I was thinking."

Kikyou smiled and he set Kagome down against the wall, her neck tilted uncomfortably to the side. He took Kikyou's hand and together, they left the rooftop without a backward glance. Kikyou was back and, apparently, so was his sanity.

OoOoO

She moaned. _My neck...hurts so bad...Ow..._ Opening her eyes slowly, Kagome tried to make sense of her surroundings. She blinked a few times to clear the sleep from her eyes and then raised a hand to gingerly massage her aching, strained neck. _Why am I on the roof? Okay girl, take a deep breath and think. You were up here escaping Jerk Face, and then he showed up anyways...creepy stalker like...and then we fought...and then...and then..._ she huffed frustrated.

"And then I blacked out." She pouted, trying to piece together the puzzle. "...So I blacked out...and the jerk left me here..." Her eyebrows furrowed. "He freaking left me here?... JERK!" She shouted at no one in particular. She stood up and brushed herself off angrily, still upset at having been left behind to rot. _Then again, what did you expect? Him to turn into your knight in shining armour and carry you off into the sunset? HA! Really, you're losing your mind Kagome._ She scoffed at her own lapse in judgement.

A thought occurred to her. The sun was setting. The sun did not set until after school had ended. _...I either missed school...or the world is ending..._ She gasped in disbelief and simply stood rooted to her spot for moment. _Deep breaths Kagome, deep breaths. Focus on nothing, clear your mind, keep cool, stay calm...keep cool...stay calm...stay..._ She let out a long frustrated scream.

OoOoO

She wasn't thinking, her body was on auto-drive. It had been an uneventful day, and a terrible volleyball practice. No one was moving right, she couldn't spike for the life of her and her favourite setter had been injured. Gritting her teeth, she shoved her gym shoes into her bag and without muttering a word to the other girls, stormed coldly out of the change room.

She briskly moved down the hall and climbed the stairs to the top floor where her locker was. She spun the combination to her lock easily and grabbed her backpack. Pulling the keys out of her bag, she stopped in her tracks as an ear splitting scream shook the halls. Closing her locker, she tilted her head. Curiosity was getting the best of her.

_Well, what's the harm in checking it out? Nothing is going right anyways, how much worse can it get?_ Putting her keys in her pocket, she grabbed all of her gear and scanned the halls. No one else was around. She strode towards the rooftop exit and opened the door.

OoOoO

_Okay Kagome, calm down. One day. You only missed one day and really it was only just a half of a day so...so...you can catch up! No worries!_ Her mental encouragement was not working. The more she thought about it, the more dejected she felt. They always covered so much material in class and she had a test the next day which would have included the lesson from today. _Think Kagome, think...is there anyone you can ask for the note?_

A bitter laugh escaped her lips. _Of course not._ Everyone hated her and no one talked to her. On the social ladder, she was the lowest of the low. She would have to just make do with what she could get from the textbook.

"It'll be okay, Kagome," She whispered to herself. "I can do this. Yeah he's a jerk, and he made you miss your classes, and then left you up here, and your neck hurts, but you can do it! Studying and hard work always perseveres!" She was determined to do well on the next test. She had to keep her marks up to stay in school. She couldn't put the burden of paying the full tuition fee on her mother's shoulders. She just couldn't.

Moving once more to the railing, she gazed at the setting sun and the splash of warm colours across the horizon. She took in a deep breath of fresh air and savoured the romance of the moment, slowly cooling off. She started to hum quietly to herself and before she realized it, she was singing to herself again.

OoOoO

She stepped quietly, not wanting to alert whoever or whatever was on the roof to her approaching presence. As she reached the top of the stairs and the door that led to the roof, she listened to a faint mumbling. She slowly pushed the door open and peaked out from the crack.

_Eh?_ She was slightly startled to find that girl, the one Inuyasha had picked on earlier singing to herself.

Hey, don't write yourself off yet

It's only in your head you feel left out or looked down on.

Just try your best, try everything you can

And don't you worry what they tell themselves when you're away.

Her throat grew dry and her lips parted in surprise. She blinked. The girl was actually pretty good. Who knew that such a big voice could have come from such a meek, small girl? The girl seemed to lose herself in the song and she was soon singing at the top of her lungs.

It just takes some time,

Little girl you're in the middle of the ride

Everything (everything) will be just fine

Everything (everything) will be alright (alright)

Good was an understatement, she was amazing. She had never heard an unmodified voice like that before. It was pure. It was strong. It was so sincere. She stepped out from behind the door. The girl intrigued her.

OoOoO

Kagome smiled. She felt much better. The song had cheered her up and she felt renewed with energy to tackle the world with. She turned around and took a step before realizing she was no longer alone. Her smile fell. Her voice grew hoarse.

"S..Sango..."

XxXxXxXx

Hey guys! Finally I updated! I really had trouble with this chapter. There's so much I want to do and so many places I want to go, but I have to slow down =P We can't have things happening too fast now can we? Haha Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it, but I'll never know unless you review ~.*

Thanks to everyone who did review last time! As promised, you really did make me smile and made my day! ^-^ I hope something nice happened in return to you all! Want another reason to review? Well, here is a new reason to leave a review:

I care about what you think! So your efforts won't be wasted and your opinions will actually mean something to someone for once! ^-^ So if you review, you can be assured that the effort you put into typing out a review will be appreciated and taken to heart! ^-^ Have a cookie! 3 (To all my Canadians, I hope you had a great Victoria Day!)

Oh, also! This is no excuse, but I know I have a lot of spelling mistakes and sometimes grammar mistakes too, but often times I'm writing at 3 in the morning or so and I'm too excited and post right away without editing! Haha I promise I'll try to edit before I post from now on! ^-^ Thanks again everyone ~~


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